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Fort Frost
Fort Frost is a community located in central Minnesota. Before the war, it was a US National Guard base and training facility. Abandoned after the war, it was later reclaimed and is now the base of operations for the Fort Frost Guard History 1977-2078 Fort Frost was established in 1977 as a part of an expansion of the Midwest Commonwealth National Guard. Its name came not as a reference to the climate; rather, it was named in honour of Colonel Franklin Frost, a decorated war veteran from Minnesota. The fort grew slowly over time as the forces stationed there increased, both in terms of its overall size and range of capabilities. Originally just a simple infantry facility, it later added armoured vehicle, robot and even Power Armour facilities, as well as extensive training grounds. By 2077, Frost was a central part of the Minnesota State national guard, home to infantry units and their supporting elements. During the Resource Wars, Frost’s units were called upon to handle numerous duties. They were responsible for safeguarding numerous vital locations across the state, such as the Furtney Meat Processing Plant. The fort was also essential in helping secure against Canadian insurgents, with its troops deployed numerous times to deal with rebellions or stop smugglers. As the situation further deteriorated, its troops were often acting as peacekeepers, doing their best to quell riots caused by shortages. Fort Frost’s operational centenary was cancelled due to fears of an attack, as well as the high portion of its troops in the field. On the morning of October 23, 2077, the bulk of Frost’s forces were deployed across the region, doing their best to try and maintain order in the face of rising chaos. Much of that strength would be destroyed in the Great War, vaporised in the atomic explosions that devastated the state. While Fort Frost itself was not struck (either by oversight or accident) the bulk of its forces had simply ceased to exist. Those that remained were forced to deal with an impossible situation, cut off from their chain of command and swamped by tidal waves of refugees streaming from across the state seeking safe havens. Attempts to maintain order and command cohesion broke down, with many of the soldiers giving in to looting and desertion. Nuclear winter and radiation sickness culled many of those that remained, and the facility was effectively abandoned by the end of 2078. 2079-2270 Fort Frost, like many other sits in Minnesota, stood empty for decades after the great war. Save for the odd drifter, its inhabitants consisted only of feral Ghouls, the mutated remnants of either its pre-war forces or those refugees that tried to take haven there. Others would occasionally wander into the site, making their lairs inside the structures. The presence of these ghouls deterred would-be looters, leaving most of the structures intact, if in poor condition. The only major group to try and take up residence in the fort would not do such for over a century and a half after the war. In 2256, a group of Ghouls who had been driven out of other communities stumbled across the fort. The ferals that had kept the place largely clear of intruders over the centuries weren’t a risk to these newcomers, allowing them to make their homes in among the base’s structures. In return, the Ghouls helped look after their ‘less fortunate’ brethren, using them as guard while doing their best to make their lives more comfortable. Having found a home where they would not face persecution, the Ghouls of Fort Frost spread the word to others of their kind across the state. They offered the base, now known as Ghoulsburg, as a refuge for those fleeing persecution and wanting to live among their own kind without fear of discrimination. Over time, the makeshift refugee camp grew into a thriving community, an anarchist collective dedicated to making life better for those who were unwanted elsewhere. 2271-2287 While seemingly idyllic, under the surface of Ghoulsburg, things were anything but. In 2271, a Ghoul by the name of Trenton Dingler entered the community. Under its rules, he was accepted into it, and given the freedom to speak and act as he wished like anyone else. Unfortunately, Trenton was a self-described “Ghoul Radical”, who advocated war between Ghouls and Humans in order to create a separate Ghoul nation by force. Trenton believed that peace between the two would always be impossible, and that segregation by force was the only option. Trenton found supporters among the community, especially those who had suffered persecution at the hands of humans and its younger members. While the community as a whole officially supported his actions given its foundations on freedom of expression, behind the scenes there was a lot of discontent and rumbling about Trenton, the influence he had and his growing support. Those in charge worried that he was taking the community down a dangerous path and turning it into something it was never intended to be. Matters came to a head in the summer of 2272 when pro and anti-Trenton members of the community came to blows with each other. Using this as a pretext, members of the community voted to expel Trenton and his followers on the grounds that they were inciting violence and disrupting the harmony of the community as a whole. Trenton refused, with he and his followers arming themselves and occupying several buildings within the fort as a protest. Attempts to dislodge them failed, with the community torn as to what to do next. The arrival of a Cain Malenkov, a human mercenary, and his followers provided the Goulsburg community with an opportunity to end the situation. Malenkov claimed that he had found records of the facility that dated back to before the war that revealed the existence of hidden facilities within the base. Using these, he could get his men into Trenton’s compound and ‘remove’ them. As distasteful as members of the community found turning to a mercenary for support (and a human one at that), they agreed for want of any better options. After providing Malenkov with a down-payment in caps, the Ghoulsburg community waited to see what he would do. At first, Malenkov seemed true to his word. He and his men entered one of the former hangars, accessing a hidden hatch and disappearing into previously unknown tunnels underneath the base. Those outside nervously waited to see what would happen. After an hour, the sounds of gunfire were heard from within Trenton’s compound as Malenkov’s troops entered it form below and engaged the occupying forces. Overwhelmed, Trenton and his surviving followers fled the compound and were captured. The Ghoulsburg community was filled with a sense of relief that quickly turned to terror as Malenkov’s forces opened fire on them as well. The secret tunnels under the fort not only had access to several key buildings within the compound, but also had contained a hidden armoury. Having up-gunned themselves, Malenkov’s men had used the hidden tunnels to spread out across the fort. Now that they had control over these structures, Malenkov and his men aimed to take the fort for themselves. While they had the advantage of numbers, the Ghoulsburg residents were surrounded and out-gunned; most of them were unarmed and few had much actual combat experience. Attempts to fight back failed and quickly degenerated into chaos as the survivors fled from their savours turned conquerors. By the end of the day, Malenkov’s men had complete control of Ghoulsburg, having hunted down and eliminated anyone who hadn’t fled. (Ironically Trenton was one of the survivors and escaped in the chaos). Having secured the fort, Malenkov began a process of rebuilding and fortifying, intent on using it as his own base of operations. Reverting to its original name, Fort Frost became the base of operations of his private army, the Fort Frost Guard. Over the next two years, the Fort was reinforced and given over to the recruitment and training of his new force. By 2275, the facility was fully operational, and Malenkov was using it as the base of operations for his various ‘campaigns’ across the Minnesota region. In 2276, the Fort was attacked by the Decimators’ Axoid warband, providing the Fort Frost Guard with their first real test of strength. Thanks to their fortifications (and Malenkov’s own claim of superior leadership and tactics), the Decimators were repulsed, albeit with not inconsiderable casualties among the Guard. However, this success emboldened Malenkov, proving that his force was superior. Description From the outside, Fort Frost is a largely conventional military base. Many of its structures are of pre-war origin and have been restored by the Fort Frost Guard. The guard sees their headquarters and its facilities as a point of pride, as if proof of their strength. Many of the facilities have been converted since their original functions are no longer applicable; for example, the vehicle and Power Armour hangars have been turned into living quarters. Fort Frost contains all the facilities needed for the raising and maintaining of Malenkov’s private army. These include barracks, armouries, assembly halls, briefing rooms and training facilities such as target ranges and obstacle courses. The perimeter of the fort is protected by high walls and guard towers, including a number of machine gun turrets. Two pre-war IVFs are parked outside the main gate; while the vehicles themselves are completely non-functional, their presence is somewhat intimidating and intended to deter attackers. The biggest secret of the fort is its extensive subterranean facilities, which were kept secret even during its time as a US Army base before the war. These facilities were used for housing Canadian Dissidents and other ‘undesirables’ before their rendition to the hands of the Government or various private organisations. Aside from prisons, this subterranean portion of the base also included its own separate armoury, living facilities and command centre. Government Fort Frost is a military dictatorship under the command of (self-appointed) Colonel Cain Malenkov. Its entire population are members of the Fort Frost Guard or their immediate dependents. The sole exceptions would be the base’s few robots, as well as any prisoners who have been brought back for whatever reason. Malenkov wields supreme power through a military chain of command; his subordinates follow his orders and in turn pass them on to their own. Malenkov’s current second is Major Roberta Ovan, who is expected to take over control of the Guard when he steps down (Or “if” in her own words). The fort’s justice system is swift and harsh. Only members of the Fort Frost Guard receive any sort of protection while prisoners have no rights whatsoever. Punishments are usually swift and arbitrary; minor infractions are usually met with an assignment of extra duties (ranging from patrols and security all the way up to being ‘volunteered’ for risky missions) while more serious ones such as assault or murder are dealt with by summary execution. While Malenkov has the final say, it is rare that he gets involved with proceedings. Only the most severe crimes warrant his protection. Relations Fort Frost offers it’s ‘protection’ to other communities, providing them with defense against raiders and other threats in exchange for tribute in the form of supplies and caps. Malenkov has always remained diplomatic in his approach, pointing out that the pain of supporting the Fort Frost Guard is always going to be less than that of being raided. However, should a community be unable to make its payments, the Fort Frost Guard are authorized by him to extract it by any means necessary, or withdraw their assistance. Currently, Fort Frost has several groups that it considers to be high priorities for various reasons. Granite City One of the largest and most successful communities in the Minnesota region, Granite City has so far resisted the Fort Frost Guard’s offers of protection. While normally the guard would not be inclined to completely out and conquer the community, Malenkov is also aware of the considerable wealth that Granite City represents and the benefits that would come from controlling a trading community with access to the Mississippi River. For the moment, he has remained diplomatic in his dealings with the community while looking for options. The removal of mayor Sven Gunderson would go a long way towards furthering his goals, especially if it were to coincide with an attack that demonstrated the city’s weakness. Many within the Guard hold the Granite City Militia with contempt, seeing them as being little more than farmers playing at being soldiers. Decimators Malenkov sees the Decimators as the single greatest threat to the Minnesota region. Far larger in numbers then his own Fort Frost Guard, the Decimators are well-armed and mobile, with a strong sense of continuity that has kept them together far longer than any other raider band would. The Decimators move and act with impunity and have the strength to take on all but the largest and best-defended communities. The Fort Frost Guard have clashed with them several times, usually while ‘protecting’ some local community. So far, they have a very mixed success rate against them, with both victories and defeats. One of Malenkov’s end goals is to build a force strong enough to take the Decimators on and eliminate them as a threat overall. This would also have the effect of leaving him in control of the largest military force in the region. Minnesota Tribe Fort Frost has not yet had any contact with the mysterious Minnesota Tribe. Given the tribe’s habit of violently defending its territory and clear dislike of raiders, Malenkov is aware that the Minnesota Tribe would consider his people to be their enemies, and would not hesitate to attack them if crossed. As such, he has banned his forces from entering the Tribe’s territories. Category:Communities Category:Places